Territory



(No Model.) SheetsSheet 1.

L. CASPER. STATION INDICATOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

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(No-Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. CASPER.

STATION INDICATOR.

No. 442,610. Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

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Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

ENITED STATES ATENT m et.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,610, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed September 12, 1888. Serial No. 285,167. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, LOUIS CASPER, of Cheyenne,in the county of Laramie, lVyoniin g Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved station-indicator for automatically indicating the streets, stations, and other prominent points 011 a road as they are reached by the car.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved station-indicator, the band being removed. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one end; Fig. at, an elevation of the opposite end; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the operating device on the axle. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same, parts being omitted. Figs. 7, S, and 9 show separated from the device certain details of construction. The views are respectively plan, front elevation, and side elevation of the toothed wheels L and L, as combined with the pawls K and K.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The casing or box A,which is hermetically sealed, is mounted loosely on the axle A and is provided at its lower end with aweight A, that holds it vertically and prevents it turning on the axle. A ring B, permanently secured on the aXle,is provided with a tooth B and a recess at each side of said tooth. On the pintle C of the casing A the polygonal wheel D is mounted, which is provided at each angle with a notch D for receiving the tooth B, the sides of the wheel D being curved on a concave line, so as to fit on the ring B. Said wheel D is provided on one side with a pin or projection E, that can strike against a pivoted lever F, at each side of which a contact-spring G or G is held, said contact-sprin gs being connected with the linewires a a, respectively. The swinging arm F is connected with the wire I).

The station-indicator proper consists of a casing located in such a manner in the car that it can be plainly seen. On one side plate II of said casing the two electro-magnets I and I are provided at the bottom, the ends of their cores being adjacent to and a short distance from each other. armature J is mounted to swing on a shaft J between a bridge J and the upright plate 11 of the frame. 011 the upper end of the armature two angular clicks or pawls K K are pivoted, and between their upper ends a' spring K is inserted, which presses said upper ends or arms of the pawls from each other and keeps said pawls engaged with the two opposite ratchet-wheels L L, mounted rigidly on the shaft J, on which the armature is mounted to swing. The wheels L L have oppositelyarranged teeth. A fixed pin M projects from the plate 11 between the upper ends or arms of the pawls.

The shaft J extends longitudinally through the casing, and on its opposite end is mounted the pinion N, engaging the cog-wheel O on the same pintle with the pinion P, engaging the cog-wheel Q, mounted loosely on the shaft J and provided with a pin Q, that can act on the lower end of a lever B, pivoted on the outer side of the upright plate 11, said lever being provided at its upper end with a pin R between the shanks of the forkS, on the lower end of a lever S, the upper end of which rests upon and can swing over two contactpieces T T.

The upper end of the lever B is provided with a point that can engage a round head U on the end of the spring U on the outer side of the upright 11', for the purpose of looking the lever B in its different positions.

A ratcl'iet-wheel V is securely connected with a cog-wheel Q, and is engaged by the end of a spring V secured on the outside of the upright plate H. 011 the shaft J the winding-drum V is secured, and above the same a winding-drum V is mounted. A coiled spring X has the inner end secured to the shaft of the upper winding-drum W and the outer end secured to the plate H.

Y Y are guide-rollers for the band carrying the station-names, the ends of said bands being secured to the rollers V W. The wires a a are connected with the opposite Between them the ICO magnets I I, which magnets are also connected by the wires V and V with the switchplates T T.

The switch-lever S is connected by the wire m with one post of the battery Z, the other post of the battery being connected with the wire b. The spring S keeps the armature J midway between the heads of the electromagnets.

The operation is as follows: For example, if the axle carrying B is rotated in the direction of the arrow 00, the tooth B successively passing into the notches D of the wheel D rotates the same in the direction of the arrow 00 so that the pin E finally strikes against the lever F, moves the same to the right and presses it against the con tact-spring G, whereby the circuit is closed. The circuit will then be as follows: From the battery Z through the wire I), the lever F, the contactspring G,the wire a, the magnet I, the wire V, switch-plate T, switch-lever S, and wire at back'to the battery. The magnet 1 becomes excited and attracts the armature J, the upper endof which is thus swungin the direction of the arrow Both pawls-K K are swung in the direction of the arrow x andas the upper arm of the pawl K strikes against the fixed pin M its lower end is swung from the rim of the ratchet-wheel L and clears the same. lVhile the pawl K is moving toward the said pin M it rotates the axle J. As, however, the teeth on the wheel L are in an opposite direction to those on wheels L, the end of the other pawl K slides over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L. If the armature should have moved in the opposite direction, then would the shaft or axle J have moved in the opposite direction. lVhen the circuit is broken-that is, when the pin E has passed beyond the lever F-and the said. lever hangs vertically, the springs S connected with the armature, bring the same into its normal position between the magnets, and thereby swing the upper end of said armature in the inverse direction of the arrow The pawl K, engaging the ratchet-wheel L, turns the same in the direction of the arrow 03 As the end of the pawl K is lifted clear of the ratchet-wheel L, it cannot act on said wheel. The ratchet-wheel L being rigidly mounted on the shaft J, said shaft is also rotated in the direction of the arrow m, as is also the lower drum W. Part of the band or belt carrying the station-names is thus unwound from the drum \Vand wound upon the drum WV, whereby a new name is exposed. By the unwinding of the band or belt from the drum W the spring as is coiled or brought'in tension and serves to keep the band or belt taut at all times. In this manner the belt or band is shifted every time the wheel makes a revolution. In case the car runs in the reverse direction the direction of the rotation of the wheel D will .be reversed, the lever F will be pressed against the spring G, the

other circuit will be closed, the armature attracted by the magnet I, and the lower drum IV revolved in the inverse direction of the arrow 00. Part of the belt or band is then unwound from the lower drum IV, and by the action of the spring X wound upon the upper drum W. The names of the stations 011 the band or belt must be spaced from each other corresponding with the distance between the several stations. For instance, if two stations are three times as far from each otheras the two preceding stations, the names must be arranged correspondingly on the band or belt, as the wheel D will have to make three times as many revolutions in order to shift the belt sufficiently to show the last station than it had to make to show the preceding station. In case the car always runs in the same directiom-that is in case it is turned at the end of the linethe mechanism shown in Fig. 4 is used. Motion is transmitted from the shaft -J by means of the pinion N, cog-wheel O,.and pinion P to the loose cog-wheel Q, bearing the ,pin Q. The sizes of said pinions and cog-wheels must be such that when the car arrives at the end of the road thewheelQ'will have turned such other distance that its pin Q can strike against and shift the lever B, which in turn operates the switch-lever 8, so as to throw the current from one contact T or T to the other.

The function of the spring V is to steady the gear-wheel Q, so that the switching can be perfectly made regardless of the jolting of the car.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters P atent 1. In a station-indicator, the combination, with a car-axle having a ring B, provided with the tooth B, the polygonal notched wheel D, having projection E, the swinging contact-closer F, the electrical contacts G G at the sides of the same, the casing A, surrounding the above mechanism, eleotro-magnets connected with the electrical contacts, a roller operated by said electro-magnetsand a band secured to the roller and bearing the station-names, substantially as set forth.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination, with two electro-magnets and an armature pivoted to swing between them, angular pawls pivoted to the upper end of the armature, a shaft, two ratchet-wheels on said shaft, a roller on said shaft, and a band secured to said shaft and bearing the station-names, substantially as herein shownand described.

3. In a station-indicator, the combination, with two electro-magnets, an armature pivoted between them, two angular pawls pivoted on the upper end of the armature, a pin projecting between the upper ends of said pawls, a spring acting on the pawls, a-s'haft, ratchet-wheels on said shaft, onwhich ratchetwheels the pawls act, a rolleron said shaft,

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and a band bearing the station-names and by gearing of the shaft of the lower roller, 10 secured to said roller, substantially as herein substantially as herein shown and described. shown and described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing 4. In a station-indicator, the combination, as my invention I have signed my name in with two rollers, of a band secured to said presence of two subscribing witnesses.

rollers and bearing the station-names, an elec- LOUIS CASPER. tro-magnet, an armature, pawls, and ratchet- Witnesses: wheels for operating the shaft of the lower H. DONZELMAN,

roller, and an electric switch which is operated JOHN XV. SOHUNEMANN. 

